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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28098546">The Last of Us</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Better_Than_Chocolate/pseuds/Better_Than_Chocolate'>Better_Than_Chocolate</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Horror, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Dark, Eventual Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Open to Interpretation, Psychological Horror, So much angst, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Unreliable Narrator, Why Did I Write This?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:07:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,098</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28098546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Better_Than_Chocolate/pseuds/Better_Than_Chocolate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>He stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide in fear as he stared at the man in front of him.</i>
  <br/>
  <i>He felt his heart beating in his throat, a fast, erratic thumping as fear clutched at his heart, squeezing the air out of him in a shaky breath. </i>
  <br/>
  <i>He looked into the familiar golden amber eyes and knew that it was over. </i>
  <br/>
  <i>His eyes moved to the gun pointed at him, cold and deadly as the man moved his finger, resting it on the trigger. </i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The Malec Secret Santa - Edition 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Last of Us</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Shiva_Adler/gifts">Miss_Shiva_Adler</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello people!<br/>First of all, thank you for even considering giving this story a chance! &lt;3<br/>I would like to warn everyone, that this fic is DARK.<br/>The tags are not there for the crack, please don't take them lightly.<br/>Also, I’m not sure how this happened. This is <i>not</i> how this was supposed to go, in all honesty.. I have no idea what just happened.<br/>But it did<br/>All in all, this fic is bloody brilliant in my humble opinion, so if the tags and my warning was still not enough to scare you away... then be my guest! </p>
<p>Darling!<br/>This is my way of wishing you a Merry Christmas!<br/>I am equally happy and disappointed because this story was not what I had in mind for you, but no matter how much I tried to write the one I wanted, I just couldn't.  On the other hand... I'd like to believe I brought my A game out with this story.<br/>I'd also like to apologize in advance if this isn't your cup of tea after all. I genuinely feel like I was testing limits here and bending rules there and all I can hope at this stage is that I didn't end up crossing the line I've been tiptoeing in the next 7,000 (or so) words.<br/>Once again, I wish you Merry Christmas!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><h1>
  <b>
    <span class="u">The Last of Us</span>
  </b>
</h1>
<p>”If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”</p>
<p><br/>
</p>
<p> - Orson Welles, The Big Brass Ring
</p><p>
    
</p><hr/>
<p><br/>
<i>He stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide in fear as he stared at the man in front of him.
</i></p>
<p>
  <i>
He felt his heart beating in his throat, a fast, erratic thumping as fear clutched at his heart, squeezing the air out of him in a shaky breath. 
</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
He looked into the familiar golden amber eyes and knew that it was over. 
</i>
</p>
<p><i>
His eyes moved to the gun pointed at him, cold and deadly as the man moved his finger, resting it on the trigger. </i>
</p>
<p>9</p>
<p>
<span class="u">28 days ago…</span>
</p>
<p>
He woke up with a dull headache, a thumping behind his eyelids, growing stronger and stronger with each blink.<br/>
He groaned as he sat up, eyes taking in his surrounding but seeing nothing familiar.<br/>
</p>
<p>
The small room he was in, was rather simple.<br/>
The walls were painted in white, bare around him, lacking any personal touch, not even a picture or a photograph.<br/>
The bed was comfortable, a very simple single bed with white sheets and covers and a lone pillow.<br/>
He glanced down at the bedside table and picked up the clock placed on top.<br/>
The analogue digits showed that it was exactly 07:00 am.<br/>
His eyes landed on a sink right next to a door before he spotted a small round mirror above it. 
</p>
<p>
He frowned as he pushed himself off the bed, walking slowly towards the mirror, almost afraid of what he would see.<br/>
He blinked once, twice, gazing at his reflection in the mirror.<br/>
His eyes took in every detail, the way his black hair flopped to the side, soft strands falling onto his forehead.<br/>
He stared into his own eyes in the mirror glass, trying to identify the exact colours of them.  They were a mixture of amber and brown with gold flecks.<br/>
He looked at his small nose, then down onto his cupid’s bow... his thin lips.<br/>
His tongue darted out to lick his dry lips in a nervous gesture.<br/>
He lifted his hand, touching his cheek, fingers running along his jaw line.
</p>
<p>
“Who the hell am I?” His voice came out a hoarse whisper, but whether it was due to not using it for a long time or due to the fact he had only woke up now, he didn’t know.
</p>
<p>
He looked down at his body, he was wearing a simple white trouser and t-shirt with a number 9 printed on the left side of the chest along with a pair of white shoes that somehow reminded him of those cheap, canvas shoes that prisoners would wear.
</p>
<p>
His eyes widened, shoes and clothes forgotten as a dreadful thought occurred to him. Was he a prisoner? 
</p>
<p>8</p>
<p>He spent 28 days, stuck in the building with no windows, no doors that would open. Alone.</p>
<p>
He wished he could tell where he was, why he was there, but the only thing he ever managed to remember was his own name and even that, took him several days to recall.
</p>
<p>
The first time it happened, he wasn’t sure if it was a dream or a hallucination. It felt like a memory, familiar and personal. Almost like a glimpse from the past or perhaps a vision, created by his mind, he wasn’t sure.   
</p>
<p>
<i>“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Magnus.” He felt his lips tugging into a smirk as he held a hand out to the other man.
</i></p>
<p>
  <i>
He watched with a little flutter in his heart as suddenly, a bright smile spread across the other’s face, lighting up his hazel eyes before grabbing his hand.
</i>
</p>
<p><i>
“I’m Alec.”</i>
</p>
<p>
He wasn’t sure who Alec was, but from that day, he stopped thinking about himself as a number in some kind of system and instead he thought of himself as Magnus. 
</p>
<p>
There were days between the first time and the next and it left him once again with more questions than answers. 
</p>
<p>
<i>He walked slowly up to the wall, phone in his hand as he scrolled through his contacts, stopping on a certain </i>Pretty Boy <i>. He bit his lip before pressing the call button, painted nails shining in the light. 
</i></p>
<p>
  <i>
“Hello. Who is this?” He heard a deep voice coming through from the other end and he smiled to himself before answering. 
</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
“Alexander, hi. It’s Magnus. We met the other day,”
</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
“Uh, yeah. What’s up?”
</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
“I was just thinking, it was very nice getting to know you.” He said as he walked around in circles, trying to play it smooth. “You seemed…sympathetic.” He blurted before closing his eyes in embarrassment. That was as far from smooth as possible. He picked up a book he was reading the night before, flipping it in his hand as a nervous tick. “Would you like to go out for a drink sometime?” He added, thinking that if his previous words didn’t scare the man away, he might as well go for it.
</i>
</p>
<p><i>
“That sounds fun.” Came the reply and Magnus stopped fidgeting with the book in his hand, smiling happily. </i>
</p>
<p>
He still didn’t know who Alec was and couldn’t recall how he got his number, but the fact he liked the other man became very obvious. He spent night after night lying in bed, thinking about him. Was he out there? Was he... missing him? Did he realize he disappeared? Maybe they never managed to go on that date and they never spoke after. 
</p>
<p>
He spent his days in loneliness, walking the endless corridors, looking into room after room, hoping desperately to find anything that could give him answers.
</p>
<p> 
He started to doubt more and more that he was in prison. A prisoner? Maybe. But not in the common sense. There were no guards, no other inmates. He frowned, trying to remember how he knew what a prison was like, but all he managed to achieve was a throbbing headache and some nausea. 
</p>
<p>
He sat in the small, kitchen like room, eating anything he could find and deemed suitable for human consumption. There was enough food in the cupboard for month by the look of it. He wondered when and who put them there, he even stayed awake for two nights, hoping to catch someone coming in, but it turned out to be pointless. No one was coming. 
</p>
<p>
The next time he remembered something about Alec, it became clear that they have had gone on the date and it turned out rather successful.  
</p>
<p>
<i>He felt pump limps pressing against his own, eager and so ready to please. He felt the lips against his, opening slowly, letting his tongue in, meeting it halfway. It made him press his body closer to the other, hands moving to cup his face as they got lost in the kiss.</i>
</p>
<p>
He kept replaying the memory in his head, occasionally touching his lips with his fingertips. 
</p>
<p>
There were moments when he wondered if Alec was perhaps no more than a trick of his mind, someone created solely to make him feel less lonely. It was a bitter thought. One that sent him to heave above the toilet, stomach turning, throat burning. 
</p>
<p>
<i>They were standing in front of each other and he could see the small signs shoving just how nervous his boyfriend was. 
</i></p>
<p>
  <i>
“I was thinking... maybe we could move in. Together.” Alec said in one breath and it took him almost an embarrassingly long time to reply.
</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
“Only if I can have a walk-in closet.” He said seriously but he felt the beginning of a grin tugging at his lips.
</i>
</p>
<p><i>
“You mean that?” Alec asked with a wide smile, full of happiness, before stepping closer to him.</i>
</p>
<p>
He was angry. Whoever Alec was... they lived together. So, where was he? He counted the days, and he was there for almost a month, surely, he would realize something was missing in that time. He felt his stomach turning with nausea and his head spinning with all the questions he had with no one to answer them.
</p>
<p>
He wondered what he could’ve done, making the other man give up on him, forgetting about him.
</p>
<p>
He systematically explored every inch of the building, pulling everything apart, turning the entire place upside down. He knew well enough that there was nothing to find but it made the anger and fear subdue even if only for a short period of time. 
</p>
<p>
<i>He watched his boyfriend leaning over the pool table with a cocky smirk while he stood motionless, cue in hand as he raised a single eyebrow.
</i></p>
<p>
  <i>
“It’s all about the angles.” His boyfriend explained before pulling the cue back slowly and with a forceful, punctual move, he sent the first ball into the hole. “Like archery.” He added with a smile, turning towards Magnus, motioning for him to go next.
</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
He tried to hide his smile as his boyfriend turned away, taking a quick sip at his drink and he quickly leaned forward, pushing two balls in with ease. 
</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
He straightened up, finding his boyfriend staring at him with wide eyes that instantly ripped a laugh out of him.
</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
“Oh darling, did no one ever tell you, that if you can’t find the one being hassled at a pool table, it’s probably you?” He asked.
</i>
</p>
<p><i>
“Oh, you’re on.” His boyfriend laughed with a shake of his head.” </i>
</p>
<p>
Magnus was desperate to get out. He went from room to room, wall to wall, pounding and kicking the locked doors until he was out of breath, until his hands were bruised. 
</p>
<p>
Whoever locked him up, made sure that there was no way he could ever get out of this hell hole. There wasn’t a single clue anywhere about what this place was. He hated it. He hated the white walls, the white floor, the tiny number nine on his t-shirt. He hated it all.
</p>
<p>
He sank down along the wall, back tilted against the cold tiles and took a deep breath. He felt his throat closing up, making it harder and harder to breathe. 
</p>
<p>
Then he heard it. A door opening. 
</p>
<p>
He was on his feet in seconds, the rapid movement giving him a whiplash as he swayed on the spot. 
</p>
<p>
He felt his heart almost beating out of his chest, scared and hopeful at the same time.
</p>
<p> 
He tried to listen to any noise, but he could barely hear anything apart from the buzzing in his ears. 
</p>
<p>
Before he could make his mind up whether to hide or to go and see who was there with him a figure turned at the corner, coming to a halt as he spotted Magnus pressed to the wall. 
</p>
<p>
It took him a minute until he could speak, his eyes strained on the man in front of him as he whispered.
</p>
<p>
“Alec?” 
</p>
<p>
It seemed to pull out the other from whatever shock he was in, making him blink rapidly as he took a step closer to Magnus.
</p>
<p>
“Magnus.” He breathed, not a question but a statement. Before Magnus had a chance to do a much as blink, Alec was standing a few feet away from him, hands in the air between them a clear invitation.
</p>
<p>
“Are you really here?” The man asked with tears in his hazel eyes, making Magnus unable to do anything but nod. 
</p>
<p>
He didn’t know who moved first, but the next moment he found himself between strong arms, his own grasping the man’s t-shirt, holding onto him with everything he had. 
</p>
<p>7</p>
<p>
<i>”You are beautiful.” Alec whispered in the dim light of his bedroom before cupping his face gently, kissing him with love and care. He felt his skin tingling where his fingertips touched, leaving goosebumps in their tracks. They spent hours and hours discovering each other, tangled together in the sheets, breathing and moaning, whispering “I love you”s into the dark.”</i>
</p>
<p>
Magnus spent the whole day subtly avoiding any eye contact with Alec. 
</p>
<p>
It’s been over a week since they met, and they never left the side of the other ever since. 
</p>
<p>
At the start it was both awkward yet familiar to be around the other man. He felt like he knew him and deep down he knew he did, but having a glimpse of memories of him here and there, didn’t feel enough. 
</p>
<p>
First Magnus hoped that Alec would have more knowledge of their situation, but it turned out that he had even less than what Magnus had. He told him about a few memories he had with him, a dinner night, some walk in the city were they placed a lock on the wall but apart from that, Alec had as much idea about the place or their reason for being there as Magnus.
</p>
<p>
They spent the next couple of days coming up with possible options from prison to hospital, but it didn’t bring them any closer to find answers. 
</p>
<p>
“Neither of those add up. Not even with the numbers.” He said as he gestured towards the small 9 on Magnus’ t-shirt before he glanced down into his number 4 before continuing with a sigh.  “Say we are prisoners, where are the guards? And other inmates? I mean, even if we did something absolutely horrific and were deemed to be the most dangerous criminals of all time, it doesn’t explain the lack of prison system. There aren’t even cameras.” Alec explained. Magnus suddenly remembered a tv-show about two brothers and prison. He couldn’t name it, nor any of the people in it, but from what he knew, Alec was right. 
</p>
<p>
“Yeah, we are definitely not in a hospital either. There are no nurses, no doctors, no other patients. Although the white walls and sterile feeling is definitely there.” Magnus said, getting a nod from Alec.
</p>
<p>
“Plus, if we were, I’m sure our family would have visited by now.” Alec said quietly.
</p>
<p>
“You… you remember them?” Magnus heard the words slipping out before having the chance to stop them.
</p>
<p>
Alec shook his head with a humorless chuckle. 
</p>
<p>
“I wish.” He said and looked at Magnus with an odd look.
</p>
<p>
“What is it?” 
</p>
<p>
“It’s just, strange. I remember things. But I don’t know how. I know things but I can’t remember when or how I learnt about them. The only thing I seem to remember clearly is… well, you.”
</p>
<p>
“I remember you too.” Magnus said with a smile, before gently touching Alec’s hand. 
</p>
<p>6</p>
<p>
On the good side of things, it helped Magnus to get to know Alec a bit better and to learn about him; like how he woke up super early, how he would spend hours to do push-ups and god knows what each day, that rolling his eyes seemed to be his default reaction to anything and everything, that his whole face lit up when he smiled, that his voice was always a few octaves deeper in the mornings, he also blushed on cue and stuttered when he was embarrassed, but was still charismatic, even authoritative on occasions which somehow always made Magnus’ knees weak.  
</p>
<p>
Alec has been there for a lot longer than Magnus. He wasn’t sure in days, he lost track of the days after he reached one hundred and Magnus tried his absolute best not to dwell on that information or try to guess at which point will he lose the track of days. 
</p>
<p>
The man was blunt and honest but not in a rude way. He also made jokes that were a tad bit too sarcastic but with no heat behind them. He was also caring and paid attention to everything that Magnus said and to the things he didn’t. He seemed to sense when Magnus wanted to be alone, leaving him to himself without trying to engage him in a conversation. He also spotted where Magnus felt unable to stay still and then they went for a walk, observing the place where Alec was staying until now. The part of the building Alec was in, seemed a lot bigger than his own. Maybe even three times of its size. It turned out that the door separating the two parts of the building could be only opened from Alec’s side and since Alec has spent majority of his days in the opposite corner, the furthest from where Magnus was, he never heard any noise. Not until that one day, when the sound of someone shouting and beating the walls echoed in the entire wing. 
</p>
<p>
Despite the significantly spacious environment on the other side of the door, it seemed to be providing no information about their situation. 
</p>
<p>
In fear of being separated again, or in Magnus’ case, waking up to loneliness realizing that Alec was nothing more than a dream, a hallucination, a mirage he never truly had and could never reach, they spent the nights together, two beds pushed next to each other. 
</p>
<p>
They slept together, but save for the occasional hugs and comforting touches, they never got closer.
</p>
<p>
So, waking up one morning with an erection after having erotic dreams about the other, Magnus had no idea what to do.
</p>
<p>
It was obvious that they were once a couple. They lived together. For all he knew, they might have been married, but Alec never made a move and neither did Magnus.
</p>
<p> 
Hence, Magnus stood in front of the sink, trying to splash some water on his face. 
</p>
<p>
“Are you okay?” Alec asked, voice raspy in the morning as he squinted at Magnus.
</p>
<p>
“Yeah.” He breathed as he blinked at the man, smiling at the sight of his bed head. 
</p>
<p>
Alec looked exactly like the version in his memories, saved for the slightly longer hair and beard.
</p>
<p>
They had a shower with cold water and soap, but there was nothing to shave.
</p>
<p>
The clear lack of anything that could be used to harm others, or even themselves, was both surprising and expected.
</p>
<p>
Magnus blinked a few times, only realizing that he must have spent this whole time staring at Alec. 
</p>
<p>
Alec gave him a look that he couldn’t exactly decipher. He was frowning but there was no sign of annoyance. It almost seemed as if he was thinking about something, really hard. 
</p>
<p>
He opened his mouth to ask him about it, but before he could do so, Alec jumped out of bed, stopping in front of Magnus with barely a few inches separating them.
</p>
<p>
The close proximity of the other man brought all the memories of his dream back with a renewed force, vivid pictures of the man, all naked and sweaty flushed before his eyes.
</p>
<p>
His eyes met a pair of hazel ones, full of hope, want and <i>love</i> and before he knew it, they were kissing. 
</p>
<p>
It was nothing like their first kiss, nor like the one they shared in his memories from last night.
</p>
<p>
This kiss was like a moment of freedom, a freedom he didn’t know he was desperately yearning for, like a gulp of fresh air after being confined between four walls for so long. 
</p>
<p>
He felt a hand gently touching his face, while the other pulled him closer by his waist and despite the absurdity of their situation, he would not be anywhere else in that moment. 
</p>
<p>
They parted slowly after a handful of minutes, resting their foreheads together as both of them tried their best to catch their breath. 
</p>
<p>5</p>
<p>
A few hours later, Magnus walked slowly, giggling as he raised his hands, trying to feel anything in front of him.
</p>
<p>
“I’m not gonna walk you into a wall.” He heard Alec’s voice coming from right behind him, his lips almost touching his ear and it sent shivers down his spine. 
</p>
<p>
“I know.” Magnus said with a smile and he meant it. He trusted Alec with his life. 
</p>
<p>
“Okay. I’m gonna move my hands now, but please keep your eyes closed.” Alec instructed before doing as he said, stepping away from Magnus.
</p>
<p>
He had no idea what Alec was up to, but he disappeared in the kitchen thirty minutes ago or so, and Magnus wasn’t allowed to follow him. Until now.
</p>
<p>
“Ready? You can look now.” Alec said and Magnus raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of his tone, all of a sudden, he sounded nervous and it only intrigued Magnus’ curiosity. 
</p>
<p>
He opened his eyes, and he felt his mouth parting in surprise. 
</p>
<p>
On the table was a dinner. Probably the most pathetic dinner he ever had, yet the most touching one.
</p>
<p>
“I know it’s not much; I mean...” Alec gestured with his hand, oblivious to the tears of happiness in Magnus’ eyes. 
</p>
<p>
He shook his head and opened his mouth to explain that it was perfect. That Alec was perfect, but the next moment he felt his breath hitching in his throat and he fell to his knees, his hands grabbing his hair as he groaned in pain.
</p>
<p>
“Magnus!” Alec shouted and he saw him move towards him as his world shifted, the image blurring in front of his eyes before it changed completely. 
</p>
<p>
<i>He walked onto a balcony and he found the most beautiful candle lit dinner table he’s ever seen. Red rose petals were covering some of the tables as well as the ground. It was dark, starts peppered across the sky, the only light coming from the dozens of candles placed around the balcony, illuminating the small circular table.</i>
</p>
<p>
“Magnus. Magnus!” He came back to Alec hoovering above him, white as a sheet, concern and worry plastered across his face.
</p>
<p>
Magnus sat up with a groan, the pain was gone as suddenly as it appeared.
</p>
<p>
“Oh my-.“ Alec choked before hugging him tightly. 
</p>
<p>
He hugged him back, felt his body trembling under his touch.
</p>
<p>
“Just a flashback.” Magnus explained with a wave of his hand as he let Alec to pull him to his feet. 
</p>
<p>
“Was it because of the dinner?” He asked with so much guilt in his voice that Magnus shook his head, trying to ignore how he blatantly lied to the other man. 
</p>
<p>
“Of course not.” He said with a smile before pressing a kiss to Alec’s lips, pulling him to the table.
</p>
<p>
After their ‘date’, the rest of the day passed in a blur as they laid in bed, kissing and smiling at each other and for the first time since Magnus could remember, he felt happy. 
</p>
<p>
Truly happy as Alec pulled him close, his head resting on the man’s chest, his heartbeat steady and calming as they drifted in and out of sleep. 
</p>
<p>
When he woke up, he found the bed next to him empty and his heart skipped a beat. 
</p>
<p>
Alec was gone. 
</p>
<p>
He sat up, head spinning, vision blurring as he fought against the panic crawling up his throat. 
</p>
<p>
“ALEC!” He shouted, panic and fear laced in his voice as he willed his body to move forward. 
</p>
<p>
He felt his legs shaking as he took a step closer to his door, but before he could reach it, it opened with a loud bang, revealing a panting Alec, eyes wide as he scanned Magnus, looking for any sign of injury.
</p>
<p>
“F…F-Fuck...” Magnus breathed, legs giving out from under him as he collapsed against the bed, hands moving up to cover his face.
</p>
<p>
“Magnus. What happened? Are you okay?” Alec kneeled in front of him, his hands moving to his, peeling them away softly from his face.
</p>
<p>
“I woke up and you were gone.” Magnus whispered softly as he looked away from Alec, feeling awfully vulnerable all of a sudden.
</p>
<p>
“I was... oh Magnus, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you w-. I didn’t think. I’m so sorry.” Alec breathed as he pulled Magnus into a hug, one hand caressing his back while the other cupped the back of his neck, allowing Magnus to bury his head in the crook of his neck. 
</p>
<p>
“I can’t lose you. I can’t. You are all I have.” Magnus muttered into Alec’s neck.
</p>
<p>
“You won’t. I promise. I… I love you Magnus.” Alec said quietly before moving away just enough to look into Magnus’ eyes.
</p>
<p>
“I love you too, Alec.” Magnus said before pulling him back, hugging him tightly.
</p>
<p> 
“I... found something.” Alec said after a few minutes and Magnus sat up suddenly.
</p>
<p>
“What?” Magnus asked, trying not to get his hopes up too much, but it was hard considering that after all this time, they finally found <i>something</i>.
</p>
<p>
Alec walked him to the other end of building, before stopping in front of a door.
</p>
<p>
Magnus raised an eyebrow, glancing at Alec, not entirely understanding what Alec’s discovery was.
</p>
<p>
The door was there before too, steel double doors, shut closed at the middle.
</p>
<p>
They spent half a day previously, trying to get it open with no luck.
</p>
<p>
Alec glanced as his boyfriend, before removing what turned out to be a panel at the left side, revealing a small pin panel and a handprint scan.
</p>
<p>
“Oh my god.” He was stunned as he stepped closer, hardly believing to his eyes. 
</p>
<p>
“I haven’t touched it. Not sure what it would do. I wanted to talk to you first.” Alec explained. 
</p>
<p>
“I’m sure it’s like any other PIN pad, and something would definitely happen after three trial, but if it is <i>like</i> one, it also means that it resets after 24 hours.” Magnus explained with a frown, wondering how was he sure about that information being right.
</p>
<p>
“Okay, let’s say you are right. Still. It’s a four-digit pin. That means 10,000 variations. If we try three each 24 hours, that means we would be here for <i>nine years</i> trying out all of them and that is if it doesn’t block the entire system. Or worse.”
</p>
<p>
Magnus blinked at Alec for a moment or two.
</p>
<p>
“Let’s try the scan.” He said with a shrug, before reaching out, just to have Alec catch him by the wrist before he could touch it.
</p>
<p>
“We have no idea what happens if the scan fails.” Alec said, eyes wide with fear.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anything worse than spending nine years here.” Magnus said, looking into Alec’s eyes, hoping that the other would understand. They had to try.
</p>
<p>
After what felt like hours of silently staring at each other, Alec closed his eyes.
</p>
<p>
“Okay.” Alec said with a sigh. “But let me go first?” He asked and Magnus had to bite his tongue to refrain himself from saying no. After all, it was his idea and he couldn’t back down now, so instead he grabbed Alec’s other hand, intervening their fingers before giving him a firm nod. 
</p>
<p>
He watched as Alec let out a shaky breath before placing his hand on top of the scan. 
</p>
<p>
The screen quickly flashed red. <i>“Access denied.”</i> Before turning black again.
</p>
<p>
They stood there, unmoving for a long few second, waiting for any kind of consequence. 
</p>
<p>
“Well, no apocalypse.” Magnus said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.
</p>
<p>
He raised his hand, but once again, Alec caught it. 
</p>
<p>
“What if that’s why we are here?” 
</p>
<p>
“What?”
</p>
<p>
“What if we are the last ones alive?” He asked and Magnus wasn’t sure if Alec was joking or serious for a moment. 
</p>
<p>
“One way to find out.” Magnus said before pressing his hand onto the cold surface of the scanner.
</p>
<p>
He felt his heart jumping up to his throat as the screen fleshed green with the two words he never truly expected to see.<i> “Access granted.”</i> 
</p>
<p>4</p>
<p>
They simultaneously took a step back, holding onto each other’s hand as the doors opened slowly, revealing another room.
</p>
<p>
Contrast to the rest of the building, it was rather dark, all steel surfaces.
</p>
<p>
They looked at each other and he found that everything he could say to the man was already reflecting in hazel eyes.
</p>
<p>
With a deep breath, they walked in. 
</p>
<p>
Magnus wasn’t sure how, but he knew the purpose of the room as soon as his eyes scanned the room.
</p>
<p>
They were in some kind of laboratory. 
</p>
<p>
He glanced at Alec and with a nod they parted ways, never losing sight of the other as they explored around.<br/>
He walked towards with two computers on top, but his eyes were already on the sea of papers, haphazardly scattered across the desk, some of them lying on the floor.<br/>
Magnus’ eyes widened as he looked at the notes. 
</p>
<p>
There were numerous files on the computer as well as lying around in a mess. 
</p>
<p>
He frowned as he picked up a notebook and his eyes ran over the seemingly random dates and what seemed like symptoms. 
</p>
<p>
<i>06/06/2025 – slurred speech, clear indication of hallucinations, depression<br/>
12/07/2025 – weight loss, inability to speak, memory loss – advanced symptoms of CJD<br/>
01/09/2025 – entered final stage<br/>
28/09/2025 – death</i>
</p>
<p>
He turned the page and found a continued list of symptoms, all of them assigned to different dates. 
</p>
<p>
He turned to the front and found the first note dated back to 2018. The last one was dated three months ago.<br/>
He looked at the computer and his eyes caught a series of files, each numbered from 0-9.<br/>
His eyes landed on nine. He felt his heart beating faster as he moved the cursor over it and tapped it twice to open it.<br/>
</p>
<p>
“What the hell?” The words left his lips in a whisper. 
</p>
<p>
On the screen… was him. His name in big capital letters: <b>MAGNUS BANE</b>.
But that was not what shocked him… no… it was the footnote under the name. 
</p>
<p>
Subject number: Nine.<br/>
Trial: same as subject Four<br/>
Status: initial stage<br/>
Information on his blood pressure, blood sugar level along with many more he couldn’t focus on. 
</p>
<p>
He wasn’t speaking loud enough for Magnus to make out the words, but it was audible enough to allow him to pick up on the tenseness in his voice, the nervous tone to his words. 
Without thinking, he turned away from the computer and rushed to him. 
</p>
<p>
There was someone else with them. 
</p>
<p>
“Alec?” He called out as he stepped into the room and he felt his world shifting, the ground almost slipping from under his foot as his eyes landed on the other man in the room, standing opposite to Alec. 
</p>
<p>
Magnus knew him.<br/>
His hair was longer, he looked older… but everything else was the same.<br/>
The small nose, the thin lips, the amber eyes…<br/>
Magnus looked at himself… but this time not in a mirror... but across from him in the room. 
</p>
<p>
“Hello, Nine. I’m Magnus. Magnus Bane. The real one.” The man said calmly, almost matter-of-factly as he locked eyes with Magnus. 
</p>
<p>
“What do you mean the real one?” Alec asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked between the two men. 
</p>
<p>
“I mean what I said. I am the original Magnus Bane.” The man explained and he raised a hand towards Magnus as he spoke “He is the ninth one.” 
</p>
<p>
“I... I don’t... I can’t...” Magnus stuttered as he took a step back, something nagging at the back of his mind, something that was becoming clearer and clearer since he found those notes, but he couldn’t put a name to it.  
</p>
<p>
“It’s alright. Calm down. There is no need to panic.” The other Magnus said, hands raised in a defensive move as he took a step forward, now standing closer to Alec than Magnus was. 
</p>
<p>
“I don’t understand. Any of this.” Alec said, his eyes flicking between them. 
</p>
<p>
“Oh, Alexander. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.” The older man said as he smiled gently at Alec, lovingly even. “I thought you were dead.” 
</p>
<p>
“What?” Alec whispered as he took a step back away from the older man, towards Magnus and it took Magnus everything he had in him to stop himself from reaching out to his lover.
</p>
<p>
“I mean... you were meant to be dead. A long time ago. The fact that you are here… it’s a miracle... it’s proof that it worked.” The older Magnus smiled happily, tears welling in his eyes as he looked at Alec with such intensity that Magnus almost believed his words.  
</p>
<p>
“What worked?” 
</p>
<p>
“The treatment. I found the cure.” 
</p>
<p>
“The cure for what?” Alec asked once again, and it was becoming clear in his voice that he was close to losing his patience. 
</p>
<p>
“For the disease that killed my husband. My Alexander.” 
</p>
<p>
“What?” Magnus blurted, but now the confusion came a certain kind of dread that settled in his chest, growing bigger and bigger with each passing second.  
</p>
<p>
“I met Alexander when we were both young, in our early twenties. In 2012.” He said with a deep breath and a barely-there smile as he looked at Alec.  
“We fell in love, fast and hard. One could say that neither of us saw it coming, by the time we realized what he had we were both in too deep. Our love for one another was like no other love out there. We were invincible. Or so we thought. Until Alexander got sick. It started with depression... and for a long time, we thought it was only that. But then... other symptoms came. The dizziness, the headaches, the anxiety, the difficulty to focus… to speak. By the time we realized what the problem was… he was almost at the end of the initial stage. I will never forget the day when we sat in the hospital and the doctor came in to inform us that he had Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. 
</p>
<p>
There is nothing worse than being told that the man you love more than life itself has a condition that is incurable. That from now on.. they aren’t focusing on treating him and trying to save his life... but instead now we wait… for the inevitable end.<br/>
I think a part of us died on that day. The part of us full of plans and hopes for the future.  
We were just told that we won’t grow old together... that we won’t be here next year... that in a few months... death will do us part.<br/>
I tried everything. I tried treatment when other doctors refused to treat him. 
I spent days and nights trying to find a way to save the man I loved.  
And I failed.<br/>
I watched him grow weaker and weaker each day... until one autumn morning... he stopped fighting.” Magnus remembered the first notes from 2018 and he felt his breath hitching in his throat as realization slowly settled in. 
</p>
<p>
“The day before he died... I promised him that I will find a way.<br/>
And I spent the last decade or so, working on keeping my promise.<br/>
After years of research… I found a way to clone people. I used his DNA I had from previous tests… and I created him. The man I loved.<br/>
And I couldn’t have been happier. I had Alexander back.<br/>
But then it started again... the depression... the balance and coordination problems... and less than a year after... I lost him again. To the same disease.  
The DNA I had from him was after he got sick... so the new Alexander also received the disease…<br/>
So, I created a new one. He lived for even shorter than the previous one.  
I realized that this way... I can find a cure. I have someone with the disease... I can do tests and trial treatments…<br/>
But losing you, over and over again... it killed me. It broke my heart and no matter how many times I watched you leave me... it never got easier... so I decided to create a clone of myself... infect it with the disease... and try to find a cure.  
The disease in my case was even more peracute. The second one died less than half a month after exposing him to the illness. 
</p>
<p>
I created the last clone of Alexander... over a year ago. When I saw the first signs of the advanced stage... I decided that I can’t watch him die again in my arms... you were meant to die within months.<br/>
No one with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease lived longer than a year after the initial symptoms appeared. But you are still here... and you speak...and...”  
</p>
<p>
“You… you cloned me? Us?” Alec asked, voice laced with shock and utter disbelief.  
</p>
<p>
“I had to. It was the only way to be with you again.” The older Magnus said with such softness in his voice that it almost made Magnus believe that it was regret woven into his words. 
</p>
<p>
“How many... clones did you make?” Alec asked and Magnus felt his stomach dropping. 
</p>
<p>
“Nine.” He whispered, his eyes moving down onto the number etched into his t-shirt. 
</p>
<p>
“Yes.” The other man nodded as he looked at Magnus before quickly turning away from both of them. He walked away slowly to the desk. “You see... the first three Alexanders I created passed away quickly... it was after I created you, number four – he said before pointing at Alec’s t-shirt – that I realized I can’t lose you again. So, I created Magnus one, which if we want to be precise was number five. Ninth here was the last one.” He said still not looking at them, only nodding towards Magnus’ 
direction vaguely before turning around. 
</p>
<p>
“But now... I have the cure. I have you. I don’t need him anymore.” He said as he pointed a gun at Magnus. 
</p>
<p>
He stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide in fear as he stared at the man in front of him. 
He felt his heart beating in his throat, a fast, erratic thumping as fear clutched at his heart, squeezing the air out of him in a shaky breath.  
He looked into the familiar golden amber eyes and knew that it was over.  
His eyes moved to the gun pointed at him, cold and deadly as the man moved his finger, resting it on the trigger. 
</p>
<p>
He felt tears in his eyes, mourning for himself and all the others. 
The thought of all of them... having thoughts and feelings and memories... they were real. They were real, living and breathing people. 
</p>
<p>
All created in a lab by a man who couldn’t let go of his love.  
</p>
<p>
As he stood there, eyes not leaving the other’s face.. he mourned for him a bit too.  
As twisted as it sounded... he felt sad for the older man.  
To imagine a love so strong... that it was enough to wash away any morals or ethics the man once must have held as a doctor, just to be reunited with his lover. 
</p>
<p>
He remembered vividly all the memories he had with Alec and realized that they weren’t his memories but memories of the man in front of him. It broke his heart. 
</p>
<p>
He knew, he <i>felt</i> the love the real Magnus felt for Alec. The respect, the admiration he felt for the other man. He wondered what his Alexander would have said if he saw the man he loved, once kind, caring and so considerate of everyone around him to turn into someone so lonely and hurt by the cruelty of life. That the man he loved was willing to play God, to break rules and overstep boundaries so easily just to be with him again.  
</p>
<p>
He closed his eyes, allowing a single tear to roll down his cheek. He wanted to live. He desperately wanted to experience the world, all the moments he thought he once had, but turned out to be nothing but someone else's memories. He selfishly wanted that happiness to be his. Even if he knew that they were never his to start with. 
</p>
<p>
He prepared for the end and for a fleeing moment, he wondered if this was what Alexander felt like at the end of his condition. This gut-wrenching fear and helplessness knowing that no matter what he did, the end was coming, and he had no way of stopping it. 
</p>
<p>
He mourned for him too. 
</p>
<p>
He heard the sound of the gunshot and he squeezed his eyes shut so hard it was almost painful, but apart from the self-inflicted pain, he didn’t feel anything. 
</p>
<p>
He opened his eyes and found the the older Magnus lying on the floor, Alec on top of him. 
</p>
<p>
“Alex-.” 
</p>
<p>
“Stop.” Alec grunted; hand curled around the man’s wrist that was holding the gun. 
</p>
<p>
He watched as Alec forced the gun out of his hands before turning it around, pointing at the older man under him. 
</p>
<p>
“What are you doing?” Magnus panted, eyes wide in shock as he was pinned to the floor.  
Magnus watched the two of them, unable to move. 
</p>
<p>
“I... I…” Alec stuttered and even though he couldn’t see his face, his back was turned towards Magnus where he stood, he could hear the pain in his voice, tears choking him as he tried to speak. 
</p>
<p>
“I have all his memories... I remember everything. The first time you met, your first date, your first kiss… the first time you made love to him. I know how much he loved you, how he adored you. This isn't what he would have wanted, Magnus.” And this.. this isn’t how I want to remember you Magnus. And I know he wouldn’t want to either.” He said, shoulders shaking with silent cries. 
</p>
<p>
“Alexander...” 
</p>
<p>
“You killed... so many of us. Over and over again. That is not something the man I fell in love would ever do. I died Magnus. I wish... I wish you would’ve had the chance to grow old together. To have a family. But life... life doesn’t always give us what we want. Alexander isn’t the only one who died that day. You did too. A part of you never moved on. I think... I think you should... be with him.” 
</p>
<p>
“We can be. We can be.” Magnus chanted eagerly, voice hoping yet desperate. 
</p>
<p>
“And we will be. I will be waiting for you at the Brooklyn-bridge. I promise.” Alec whispered as he leaned down, pressing a kiss to the man’s forehead before a gunshot rang through the air again. 
</p>
<p><br/>
</p><hr/>
<p><br/>
He never thought he would ever have this. Now, here they were, standing on a roof top surrounded by the blue and white lights of the never sleeping city. The sight of the Brooklyn bridge, bright like a beacon of hope in the darkness of the night.  
He felt the warmth of a body pressing up to his back before arms sneaked around his waist, hugging him gently.<br/>
He smiled as he tilted his head back against his lover’s chest, finding comfort in the small puffs or air hitting his neck and the familiar scent of Alexander’s cologne.</p>
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